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BY DAVID SAFFER Relegation threatened Newcastle United have topped the Premier League ‘January transfer window’ table by splashing out £85m in a desperate bid to avoid the drop into the Championship.

With new owners at the helm the club showed their intent to stay in the big league at all costs. Newcastle, Watford and Burnley occupy the bottom three spots with Norwich City a point ahead and Everton a further three points better off. The relegation scrap will go to the wire with Southampton 10 points ahead of Newcastle. Crystal Palace, Brentford and Leeds United are also above Everton but will be determined not end up in the relegation fight.

The most heart-warming signing of the window has been the return to football of former Juventus and Tottenham star Christian Eriksen until the end of the season at Brentford after his heart scare at the European Champions last summer. Everyone in the game is wishing the Danish international well in resurrecting his career with the World Cup later this year a clear target.

Another eye-catching signature has been Philippe Coutinho at Aston Villa, initially on loan with an option of a £33m deal in the summer. Villa boss Steven Gerrard is determined to succeed and the Brazilian’s arrival is a statement that he means business.

Title favourites Manchester City are nine points clear of Liverpool and both clubs have brought in intriguing players with an eye on the future.

Pep Guardiola picked up the signing of Julian Alvarez (River Plate) for £14.1m. Alvarez will not be a part of City’s treble bid this season as he returns on loan to River Plate until July.

Jurgen Klopp never rests on his laurels and struck late in the window with a £37m deal for Porto winger Luis Díaz to deny Tottenham who thought they had landed the talented Columbian international. It will be interesting to see how matters transpire with Mo Salah, currently on African Cup of Nations duty for Egypt.

Newcastle’s Eddie Howe has brought in five players in the battle to stay up. England regular Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid), Chris Wood (Burnley), Bruno Guimaraes (Lyon), Matt Targett (Aston Villa, loan) and £13m late addition Dan Burn (Brighton) will surely all play a part in the coming months.

New Everton boss Frank Lampard has also bolstered his beleaguered squad with five players arriving at Goodison Park. Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur) is the key transfer at a possible £40m but the loan signing of Donny van de Beek (Manchester United) is also significant. Vitalii Mykolenko (Dynamo Kyiv), Nathan Patterson (Rangers) and Anwar El Ghazi (Aston Villa, loan) have also joined the Merserysiders.

Bottom of the table Burnley take on Watford this weekend and the Clarets will have £12m striker Wout Weghorst (Wolfsburg) leading the line with Wood’s departure to Newcastle.

Burnley’s Sean Dysche has only brought in Weghorst but new Watford boss, Roy Hodgson, has returned to the hot seat of a Premier club. And the former England boss has Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam), Hassane Kamara (Nice), Samir (Udinese), Edo Kayembe (Eupen) and Samuel Kalu (Bordeaux) to select from after a successful window. If anyone can get Watford out of the relegation mire Hodgson can with his vast experience.

The only side of the bottom four teams not to invest is Norwich. Only time will tell if this strategy works, but the Canaries have enjoyed the best form of the strugglers with successive wins in recent weeks.

Away from transfers there were a number of notable departures that included Arsenal sharpshooter Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Barcelona. Aubameyang had been out of the picture for some time so his move was no surprise to Gunners fans but he made his mark at the club.

Time will tell how the deals transpire but it is clear how essential staying at the top table is for all clubs. BY DAVID SAFFER Premier League favourites Hendon United Sports came from behind to defeat Club de Chigwell.

Gav Lewis scored a brace in a 6-2 win over the struggling Essex side to move 10 points clear of Oakwood, who defeated bottom of the table Faithfold White 5-3 in an eight-goal thriller.

Dovi Fehler and Chaim Korman also scored. Hendon benefited from two own goals.

Hendon’s David Garbacz commented, “We were 2-1 down at half time to a tricky team on a tricky pitch but turned it on in the second half to show we are potential champions.”

The O’s have played two more games than Hendon. Third-place HMH are a point back with three games in hand. But it will take an almighty collapse for Hendon not to reclaim the championship.

Maccabi London FC eased any relegation fears with a 3-0 victory over London Bears who are now in a scrap with Chigwell and Faithfold.

In Division 1, league leaders Stoke Salmon moved seven points clear of Borussia Jewdinese.

Alex Bleetman and Jamie Smaje bagged a brace apiece in a 7-0 win over FC East London Bees.

Ben Ingram, Jonny Halmer and James Barnett also hit the target.

Stoke’s Jamie Weiner was delighted with the result.

“After minimal football in the last few weeks our rustiness was clear from the start, however the goals soon came,” he said. “It was another dominant performance from the boys, an important win for confidence and team morale heading into Sunday’s game against Jewdinese.”

Second place Jewdinese went down to a surprise 3-1 defeat at mid-table NWL Azzurri.

Brook Farm Rovers thumped Scrabble 7-1. Phillipe Auret (2), Jonah Gordon Boyd, Oli Assor, Dan Cohen, Simon Zeffertt and Sam Georgevic scored for Rovers.

In Division Two, Geez Park Rangers and London Athletico shared the spoils in a top of the table clash.

Rangers remain three points ahead after a hard fought 1-1 draw and have two games in

Newcastle spend £85m to top £274.5m January window BY DAVID SAFFER Reiss Mogilner scored six goals as Maccabi London Lions thumped Scrabble A in the second round of the Cyril Anekstein Cup.

Th e Premier League side racked up a 16-0 win with Daniel Green and Michael Kenley both bagging a hat-trick. Ed Brafman, David Dinkin, and Adam Hassanali completed the rout in a mismatch of a tie.

Lions could have scored in the opening minute of the clash but soon opened the scoring and led 9-0 by half time.

Th e Division One team, though outclassed, battled away to the end.

Lions boss was lost for words at full time such was the display from his team who gave every respect to the opposition.

“I’m not really sure there’s anything to say, we are happy to make it through to the next round of the cup,” he commented.

Hendon United Sports ran out 3-1 victors against League One outfi t North London Raiders.

Th e Premier side led early in the second half only for Raiders to equalise but struck two late goals to book a place in round Lewis double sends Hendon 10 points clear three of the competition. Hendon now turn their attentions to the league as they travel to Oakwood A for a crucial top of the table clash on Sunday (10am).

Daniel Kristall’s team stunned the league leaders last month when they won 2-0, a hand over Athletico. victory would move them to within a point Camden City defeated Brady FC 2-1, Haof Hendon with a match in hand. poel Hampstead and Boca Chillers drew 1-1.

Elsewhere in the latest round of fi xtures, Away from league action, Oakwood Old 10-man North London Galaxy made it a Boys edged past Oakwood Town 2-1 and three-way title race in the only Division One Maccabi London FC Vets defeated Mill Hill clash of the day after defeating Oakwood B. Dons 3-1 in the Peter Morrison Trophy.

Jamie Murray saw red early on but Galaxy In the second round, O’s Old Boys host rallied with goals from Josh Cohen and Ja- Redbridge Jewish Care B or London Bears, cob Leigh to record an important 2-1 away Maccabi Vets face a tough task at Stoke win. Salmon. In other ties the highlight sees

Galaxy head Redbridge Jewish Care A in HMH play Oakwood in an all-Premier the table by just one point after 10 matches, clash, Hendon are clear favourites against third place Fairlop FC are fi ve points be- Chigwell. Manchester Maccabi and Boca hind with two games in hand. Chillers welcome Gees Park Rangers and

Rafi Bloom scored for Oakwood. Leeds Maccabi respectively. Faithfold White

“It was a fantastic performance in a host NWL Azzuri, London Athletico play Reich Insurance.

must-win game,” commented Galaxy player-manager Luke Lewis.

“We sat back and allowed Oakwood the ball, given the one-man advantage and looked to hit them on the counter attack with pace.

“Both goals came down the right-hand side. Leigh crossed the fi rst one into Cohen to fi nish, before slotting home himself. Up to fi rst we go.”

Th e Division Two title race also took a twist with league leaders Herstwood Vale going down to a 2-1 defeat at Temple Fortune.

Faithfold B have played a game more than Vale but moved level with a 5-3 win at North London Raiders Masters.

Jacob Kalms struck twice for Fortune who scored through leading scorer James Milletwith his 17th goal of the season.

Th e result was all the more remarkable as Temple were down to 11 players with ‘keeper Ben Rebuck dislocating a shoulder in the warm up.

“Th is was a fantastic win given the circumstances,” said delighted Fortune boss Simon Linden.

“We had a number of players out, Rebuck got injured, so I couldn’t have asked any more from the players. We wish Ben a speedy recovery.

“It was a proper old school performance, we battled and defended for the 90 minutes and took our chances. Experience proved to be the winner. It’s a big win, one we will enjoy and we hope to build on it in 2019.”

He added, “Th is win marks 50 years as a football club and will be one Nigel Kyte and everyone associated with the club from day

Sixteen-goal Lions rout Scrabble in Cup “It was a proper old school performance, we battled and defended for the 90 minutes and took our chances. Experience proved to be the winner.”

one will enjoy.” Vale boss Jacob Emanuel was quick to wish Rebuck well following his injury. “First and most importantly, everyone at Vale would like to wish the Fortune ‘keeper a quick recovery, we hope to see him back on the football pitch as soon as possible,” he said. As for the defeat, Emanuel commented, “It doesn’t matter how big a squad you have, you can never account for unavailability or injury. Only fi ve of today’s team played in our recent win over FC Team, a lack of togetherness and poor individual

16-goal Maccabi London Lions PHOTO: DAVID SAFFER

Tottenham’s Dele Alli has PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK boosted Everton’s squad Midfielder Cristian Eriksen has PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK joined Brentford